Kudos

There's a certain amount of angst that arises when someone sees an email that has the words "Member Comment Added" as the subject, but there really shouldn't be; it's the only way the Moderators, Topic Advisors and Page Editors have to contact a member directly and privately. So while it does get used as a gentle reminder (or maybe not so gentle) about some aspect of EE, it also gets used the way Topic Advisor alanhardisty did in a note to TBone2k:

When it comes to Microsoft Visio, it's hard to get much by scott, who is a Microsoft MVP in the subject, but aikimark taught him a new trick in Kelvin4's question about importing data: "I plan to file the code away for future use because I've never tried to parse XML in VBA before and wouldn't have know how to start. This is part of what I love about EE -- learning new stuff while observing other experts in action!" Kelvin4 had some nice things to say as well:

ccbon ran into one of Windows' blue screen messages, and leew came to the rescue: "THAT outrageously impressive little Swiss Army Knife just gave me back my computer, and for turning me on to it I give the points with great pleasure to LEEW and thanks so very much !!!!!! Wow that utility you recommended really smoked! Thanks for getting my computer back from the pits of the underworld."

Editor's Choice Articles

Transient File Organization
By KoiGirl

Transient. Adjective. Defined by Merriam Webster Dictionary:

We all have them. Files coming and going, under construction, waiting for review or contributions; files to fax or email; files faxed or emailed to us. This article examines:

1. Ways to Accumulate Transient Files
2. Issues
3. Simple Solution
4. Jelly Beans and Folders
5. Examples
6. Automation
7. Uploading
8. Summary

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Introduction to VBA: Part 3
By TechMommy

This article is part 3 of a 3-part series:
    Introduction to VBA: Part 1 went over the basics of the VBA language and development environment.
    Introduction to VBA: Part 2 took the VBA language to the next level.

This article, Introduction to VBA: Part 3 covers the more advanced topics not included in the previous articles including a discussion of the DoCmd object, built-in functions, practical applications, and more.

The DoCmd Object: Performing Macro Actions

The Access environment is rich with objects that have built-in properties and methods. By using VBA code, you can modify the properties and execute the methods. One of the objects available in Access is the DoCmd object, used to execute macro actions in Visual Basic procedures. The macro actions are executed as methods of the DoCmd object.

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Nata's Corner

Go for it... go ahead and type "zerg rush" into the Google search field and then see how many 0s you can click on.

It shouldn't come as a big surprise to anyone that Facebook landed as the third item on c|net's list of Internet privacy snafus, which is one of the reasons I've cut way back on both the time I spend looking at it and the number of people I share any information with. But it turns out that even while the California legislature is about to make it illegal for employers to ask for potential employees' passwords (Maryland has already done so), one out of every four Facebook users in the US has come up with a much more efficient way of protecting their privacy: they lie. That's twice as many people who admitted to doing the same thing two years ago. If you're at all worried about your privacy, the New York Times has a great set of tips on how to hide your Internet activities from companies like Google and Facebook.

The other half does our taxes (which makes sense, since he's the one who makes most of the money that's being taxed, right? It's all his fault...), but I'm going to stick my neck out and say he's got nothing on Apple, which collects its income in Nevada and therefore saves millions of dollars in California state taxes, and billions world wide. It's really easy for people who have used federal and state tax laws to their advantage for decades to be generous to charities, and I'll even bet that the charities are probably better at managing money than governments, but still.

Regular readers know we travel a bit, and stay in hotels, especially those that offer free WiFi (so we can log into Experts Exchange, of course). One place where we're not likely to be staying anytime soon is a particular Courtyard by Marriott in New York City, where the local franchise owner has installed expensive hardware that injects ads it sells in place of those normally served up by websites. Marriott The Company says that it's the ISP's fault, but I'm not buying either.

There's a new top dog when it comes to spam. The United States has somehow managed to drop out of the top spot of "countries from where most spam comes", handing over the title to India. The good news is that world wide, spam is down about ten per cent from a year ago, but you wouldn't know it from my in-box. And while I'm on the subject of email, if you use Hotmail, you know all about your password being reset a couple of weeks ago.

Finally, this is downright scary. The FBI is pushing for new laws that will require companies like Google, Facebook and Yahoo to "build backdoors" so it can tap the electronic communications of US citizens that are suspected of being criminals or whatever.

In Brief

But it doesn't come with unlimited texts: Microsoft is preparing to dip its toe in the murky waters of discounted equipment with two year contracts. Redmond is also hedging its bet on tablets by investing in the Nook made by Barnes & Noble. You know the old saying: "If you can't beat 'em, buy their competitors."

Worth reading: The New Yorker details the man who started the hacker wars.

Facetime: Facebook's imminent IPO has been pushed back a bit, in part because of the Instagram acquisition (which spawned one of the best new Twitter feeds) and the deal with Microsoft for 650 AOL patents (free games will now be delivered to you on CDs). But one can't help but wonder if it's all much ado about very little (except a lot of money):

• There's that ongoing squabble with Yahoo.
• Even at the projected price of $28-$35 a share, most of us won't be able to get our hands on it, and Warren Buffett is taking a pass. Analysts expect the price to be higher even though it isn't worth that much.
• Revenues are headed in the wrong direction and it's not outside the realm of possibility that Mark Zuckerberg -- who will still own over half of Facebook's stock after the IPO -- isn't interested in the whole money-making thing anyway.

No more Mr. Nice Guy: Oh, wait. Nobody has ever accused the RIAA of being nice guys, because they do things like getting the federal government to seize a music site for being tied to the hosting of songs illegally -- except that the site had been given the songs by one of the RIAA's member music companies. Expect a big lawsuit.

The long and winding (and expensive for someone) road: The highlights from the last couple of weeks in Oracle vs. Google:

• April 23: Oracle recovered one more box of ammo -- a patent that was rejected and then revived. Too bad Oracle dropped it from the lawsuit.
• April 24: Google's Eric Schmidt says that Sun Microsystems was pretty happy about Android.
• April 25: Ever wonder what kind of phone Google was going to build around Android? Also, more from Mr Schmidt and friends.
• April 26: Google tried to get Oracle's patent claims tossed on a technicality. It didn't work.
• April 27: Two former Sun CEOs said exactly contradictory things about whether Google needed a license to use Java.
• April 30: Lawyers talked. Jurors didn't decide.
  
  A jury consists of twelve persons chosen to decide who has the better lawyer. --Robert Frost
  
  
• May 1-3: The jury has issues. Check SJ Mercury reporter Brandon Bailey's Twitter feed.
• May 4: Looks like the jury will be thinking about copyrights rather than Cinco de Mayo.
• May 7: Oracle gets a partial win... sorta.

And just to muddy the waters a tiny bit more, the European Union's highest court has decided that programming languages can't be copyrighted.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch: Not only is Google on the verge of being named in another monster lawsuit -- this one from the Justice Department's antitrust unit -- but South Korea and Argentina are piling on. Google Drive launched to some less than enthusiastic reviews and the somewhat predictable Twitter outrage.

Lending a whole new meaning to "an arm and a leg": Bespoke's 3-D printed prosthetics.

In requiem: Fig Newtons. Sorry, but "Newtons" doesn't remind me of Isaac or a 7th grade science class; it reminds me of what happens when an iconic tech company with a visionary founder hires a soft-drink company president. Also, Windows Live and Goober.

Only a matter of time: Eugene Kapersky -- yes, that one -- gave an interview a few weeks back in which he said that Apple is "ten years behind Microsoft" when it comes to security (and he appears to be right). In a related item, Sophos has -- for all the uninitiated -- a way to check for the infection that added 600,000 Macs to a botnet a couple of weeks ago.

Standing up to The Man: Hyman Strachman of Long Island, New York, copies first run DVDs. By the thousands.

Four words for the Yahoo board of directors: Next time, use Google: Yahoo CEO Scott Thompson has incorrect information on his resume.

I wonder if my brother can sneak me in: So, the next installation of the Star Trek movies is being filmed, in part, at Lawrence Livermore Lab (yes, ne worked on the NIF). No wonder he never talks much about what he's working on.

Last of the big spenders: Google paid the $25,000 fine imposed by the FCC for obstructing its investigation into the collection of information with Street View. That's about 3/4 of a second's worth of gross revenues. Oh, and of course, it wasn't authorized by anyone who is well-known enough to take the fall -- but it's a good bet that someone will -- probably "Engineer Doe".

Pot calling the kettle "black" (redux): Still, it might be worthwhile (if you're one of the people who buys advertising from search engine companies) to take a look at the top five online marketing frauds (don't say it, Jason...)

Signs of the Apocalypse: MySpace lives. Cracked and broken China. Amsterdam is going to pot. Apple is going to the Dark Side.

Milestones

My First Million: Reaching the 1,000,000 point level in April were feridun, basicinstinct, paquicuba and tliotta. Thanks for all your great work!

Milestones:

• Callandor has earned over 2,000,000 points in each of two topic areas: Miscellaneous Hardware and Desktops.
• hanccocka has earned 7,000,000 points since joining EE.
• mbizup has been awarded over 4,000,000 points in the Microsoft Access topic area.